Dressed in Gold
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Amber recalls her last visit with her mother. (As requested by a reviewer.)


Dressed in Gold

Summary: Amber recalls her last visit with her mother. (As requested by a reviewer.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First or any of the characters in the show. This is also my take on what may have happened to the twins' mother before Sofia and Miranda arrived. And I apologize ahead of time! I know this is a little more 'serious' than I tend to write, but considering the circumstances…I think it's necessary. Enjoy!

"Mommy?" five year old Amber asked sadly as she crawled onto the queen's bed. She watched her mother's breathing grow shallow for a few seconds before it became more even.

The Queen sat up, her long blonde hair falling in messy waves and her amber eyes peering at her daughter. "Amber, my darling girl," she greeted gently as she held her arms out, smiling as the little princess fell into her embrace. "How are you today?"

"I would be better if you weren't sick," Amber replied honestly.

"I know, sweetheart. I wish I could have made it to your party." She reached over to the side of her bed and handed Amber a white box with a gold bow wrapped around it. "Here you go. I gave James his present last night. Have a look."

Amber blinked and opened the box, gasping as she pulled out a stunning golden dress. "Mommy, it's beautiful! I want to wear it soon." She smiled toward her mother.

"It's yours to do with as you like. Here." She handed the little girl an envelope. "Read this in a little while. It's your card."

Amber nodded and put the dress and envelope into the box before crawling over to her mother and lying beside her. "Mommy, are you going to get better?"

The Queen paused at this question. She knew the real answer, but she couldn't break her innocent children's hearts. "I'm trying, my love. Now get some rest." She kissed her forehead and sighed as Amber fell asleep. "Sleep well, my darling. I love you."

Amber shot up in her bed, gasping before sighing. She held a hand to her heart and lowered her head, crying softly. It had been six years since her mother had passed away. She missed her every day, never forgetting her last hours spent wrapped in the queen's arms with her brother joining them before she took her last breath.

The blonde princess reached to her night stand and grasped the same letter she had read the other night at her party before putting on the dress for the first time.

_My Darling Amber,_

_I am sorry I won't be able to see you grow up. I pray with all my heart that you do not let my absence harden __**your**__ heart. Know that I'll always be watching over you. I love you so much, Amber. Keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart._

_Love,_

_Mommy_

_PS-A daughter as sweet and wonderful as you deserves much more than gold. But I do hope you like the dress. I had it specially made for you. Keep your head up and believe in your dreams. I love you._

Amber smiled through her tears. She must have read her mother's final letter over a hundred times. She'd never had enough confidence to wear her dress until the other night, though. She knew her mom would be happy in knowing how much she appreciated her final gift.

The princess sighed and placed the letter on her night stand again before closing her eyes. Still, she couldn't sleep. She sat up in her bed and tossed her legs over the side, sliding her feet into her slippers and pulling a green silk robe around her, tying it tightly.

She opened the door to her room and wandered into the hallway. It was relatively calm and quiet, save for a few servants who were still working to get everything cleaned and put away from the previous day. She saw Baileywick, still awake, monitoring their every move. She smiled. Of all the people working for their family, Baileywick was her favorite by far. He protected them and did everything he could just to keep their family happy.

Amber sighed, realizing he was probably too busy to talk for now. That was okay, though. She would talk to him in the morning. Her parents were already in bed, and from her understanding, so were her siblings. She turned to leave and squeaked as she ran into someone, practically knocking them both over. She steadied herself and looked up, sighing. "Oh, hi, Cedric."

The sorcerer blinked, half expecting anyone else _besides_ Amber to have nearly run him over. "Princess Amber?" he asked, curious. "I've never seen you up and about this late."

The princess folded her arms, attempting to keep herself warm in the drafty castle. "Yeah, well, I couldn't sleep."

Cedric watched Amber carefully. He'd actually known the girl her whole life, but he still knew so little about her. With Sofia, he'd known her for two years and knew practically _everything_ about her—because she shared so much. The two princesses were like night and day, when he thought about it. "Something on your mind?" he asked, cursing himself inwardly for even prodding as the girl looked up at him thoughtfully. If it were Sofia, no problem; but Amber…she was a different story.

"Yes, actually," she responded, looking down. "But I don't want to talk about it."

"I see," he answered with an inward sigh of relief. "Well, then, I bid you goodnight, Princess Amber. I will see you tomorrow." He paused when she grasped his arm gently and called his name. He blinked, looking down at her. "Yes?"

"I just…wanted to thank you." Seeing he looked confused, she sighed. "Baileywick told me that you and my m-mother had a stretching spell placed on my dress that she got for me before she…"

Cedric smiled fondly, remembering when the queen had made that request. He'd had utmost respect for King Roland's first wife. She was a lot like Sofia, with her kindness and willingness to be friendly toward anyone, regardless of status. In fact, if they'd had more time together, they probably would have been good friends. She'd at least respected him and shown him gratitude when he'd created the spell for her. "You are welcome, Princess. Your mother was one of a kind."

"I know," she stated, retracting her hand. "I miss her so much." She let a tear slide down her cheek before hastily wiping it away. "I apologize, Cedric. I'm not usually this emotional…not over this. Good night." She offered him a smile before walking away.

Cedric raised an eyebrow at the older princess, baffled as to her change of mood, before smiling and shaking his head. He moved on toward his workshop, his original destination.

Amber walked into her room again and shut the door behind her, closing her eyes and leaning against it. She let out a sigh before opening her eyes and glancing at her bed. She blinked. "James?"

The blonde boy was sitting on her bed, holding a white box similar to her own. "It's been six years," he told her quietly before looking up at her. "I know it's always a hard time for you. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

She walked over to the bed and sat next to him, pulling her legs to her chin. "I'm better than I was, but…I don't know. I can't get her off my mind recently."

"It's okay to think about our mom, Amber. She's _our_ mom, after all." He reached into his box and pulled out a stuffed replica of his dog Rex. "Our mom knew us better than anyone."

The princess smiled and took her brother's hand. "I guess now we've got to stick together, like we always have. Mom would like how far we've come—including Sofia and her mom into the family, seeing how happy Dad is…how happy _we_ are."

"Yeah," he replied, smiling. "And how you're actually being affectionate for once."

Frowning as he laughed, she scoffed and pulled her hand away. "See, this is what I get for trying to be nice to you. All you do is tease me…"

"Because I _love_ you, Amber. You're my sister—my twin. You always pick on people you care about." He grinned. "Don't you know that?"

She hummed in resignation and actually laughed when he nuzzled his stuffed dog against her cheek. "James, stop…" She smiled and brushed some hair behind her shoulders. "Mom is always watching us, right? Just like she promised?"

"Of course she is. And she always will." He slid from her bed and took one of her hands, kissing it gently. "Night, sis."

Amber rolled her eyes and flicked him upside the ear, making him wince as she smirked. "Night, James."

"You love me?" he asked, smiling cutely.

"I tolerate you," she replied, smiling in return. She laughed when he hugged her, and she actually returned it for a change. "I _do_ love you, James. Even if I don't always show it."

"I know." He released her from the hug and bid her goodnight again as she lay down in her bed once more.

Amber glanced to the side of her bed and smiled at the note before closing her eyes. "Goodnight, Mom…"

The end

(A/N: I know! It's so _serious_. But like I said, I hope it does justice to the topic and to the memory of the twins' mother. I didn't name her, because I want to leave that open. Her name may be mentioned later on, but really you can come up with one if you'd like. I tossed around names like Stephanie and Marina, but they didn't really sound right… I guess maybe we'll find out some day. :) With that said, I do hope everyone had a great weekend, and I hope this coming week is wonderful for you all. Homecoming Week…all I can say is, pray for my survival. Haha! Till next time! ~AquaTurquoise)


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